Having a funny bone like Chandler Bing’s could make you hot property on Tinder

• Dinner dates may be dead as picnics, coffee dates, stand-ups, long drives and cooking were among the most popular dating ideas.
  
• Going alcohol-free during dates is also on the rise in India this year.
  
• More than a hookup, but not quite a traditional relationship, the “situationship,” a casual-yet-clearly-defined relationship, came to rise in 2022, as per the Tinder report.
  

Chandler Bing, the character from popular American sitcom Friends, is funny, quirky and “makes jokes when he is uncomfortable” – losing him the ladies on the sitcom. However, going by Tinder’s Year in Swipe report for 2022, being funny may have won him brownie points on the dating site. Young singles were indeed looking for dates who are “fresh, funny and forward,” Tinder revealed.

If dating during the pandemic involved ‘roller skating’ or ‘grocery stores’, this year it evolved to ‘picnics’ ‘coffee dates’ and ‘stand-ups’. Situationships, shared values and social issues were the top green flags for a new generation of daters who are done with wasting their time, the dating app Tinder’s yearly report revealed.

More than a hookup, but not quite a traditional relationship, the “situationship,” a casual - yet-clearly-defined relationship, came to rise in 2022, as per the Tinder report. Young singles are owning the situationship as a valid relationship status now.

“When asked what the most important characteristics are in a potential date, young singles prioritised value-based qualities like loyalty (79%), respect (78%) and open-mindedness (61%) over looks (56%),” Tinder reported.

Politics and social issues were also a major make-or-break deal in the dating world. Three-quarters (75%) singles were looking for a match who was respectful of or invested in social issues.

Many Indian Tinder members added the Ukrainian flag to their profiles in support of Ukraine this year, and it ranked within the top 10 trending emojis on Tinder. Additionally, the Activism and Voters Rights interests both increased (84% and 37% respectively) in Tinder profiles this year.

What are young Indians looking for?

Dinner dates might just be witnessing its end as coffee dates, picnics, stand-ups, long drives and cooking were considered the most popular dating ideas. Hiking, movie night, a walk in the park, pairing up during festivals and board games were other popular forms of connection.

Interestingly, going alcohol-free during dates also witnessed a spike in India. Over 25% of young singles surveyed said they drank less on dates compared with last year and 72% of members said on their Tinder profiles that they don’t drink or only drink occasionally. The emoticons indicating beer and wine witnessed a drop of up to 40% on tinder profiles.

“Indian daters are wasting no time in reshaping the dating world in their image, once they could return to in-real-life dating. As we shift into gear for 2023, the trends of 2022 will definitely guide the way Indian daters navigate the world of dating, friends, connections and relationships – and we can’t wait to see them continue to embrace situationships, spontaneous trips and sober dates,” said Aahana Dhar, director of communications for Tinder India.

The terms “red flag” and “gaslighting” were trending. Nearly two-thirds (66%) of the young singles surveyed said they were confident they could identify potential green or red flags when dating.

Young singles were also looking for astrology to guide their dating life as star signs were the most popular type of descriptor on the app bios behind smoking preferences, pets and diet. Zodiac signs Leos, Scorpios and Cancers were the signs most likely to include their sign in their bios, Tinder revealed.

Tinder also revealed that Indians aged 18-25 years were packing their bags more frequently as revenge travelling witnessed a spike post pandemic. Hyderabad has been crowned the chattiest city for video chats on Tinder India this year, followed by Chennai and Bangalore, all using the feature to connect with others around the country, and world.

Globally, nostalgia got a strong hold of young singles as they found inspiration from the dating trends of the 90s and the noughties. In addition, talking about sneakers, anime, going camping and barbeque, trying new things or street food together were growing interests that captured the attention of the youth on the app.

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